Parachute harness



May l5, 1951 J. R. cfQulLTER 2,553,275

PARACHUTE HARNESS Filed Feb. 17, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVE/YTO John Qui 1" Y Qwwwwm May 15, 1951 J. R. c. QUILTER 2,553,275

PARACHUTE HARNESS Filed Feb. 17, 1949 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR John C. Quzter Br I my? M May 15, 1951 J. R. c. QUILTER v 2,553,275 y PARACHUTE HARNESS Filed Feb. 17, 1949 4 shee'ts-sheet s Ati-emers- May 15, 1951 J. R. c. QUILTER v PARACHUTE HARNESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed F'eb. 17, 1949 /NVE/VTQR Jahn Quitter BY dwf/gm ti-,farma ys- Patented May 15, 1 951 UNITED STATES @ATENE @FFME PARACHUTE HARNESS .lohn Raymond Cuthbert Quilter, Woking, England 10 Claims.

This invention relates to parachute harness l and more particularly to harness provided with means for attachment of two parachute packs.

The main object of the invention is to provide harness equipment suitable for example for military purposes, whereby a second or reserve parachute pack can be employed as a safeguard in case the first parachute fails to open when required, without, however, the unused second pack forming an encumbrance at the time of alighting by means of the rst parachute in the normal manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide equipment of this character suitable either for harness comprising a quick-release device, such as the standard one employed upon harness provided with a single parachute pack, and including a control knob which is initially turned to unlock the mechanism and then pressed or struck to release the connected strap-ends of the harness, or to harness having no quick-release device, the strap-ends in front of the wearer being connected together in any desired manner, for example by conventional hooks and D-rings or shackles, as in certain types of harness used on trainer aeroplanes.

Accordingly the invention provides a disconnectible harness, having means for attachment of two parachute packs, and comprising one or more releasable hooks for the attachment of the second or reserve pack, the releasable hook or hooks being operated either from the quick-release device for the harness or working independently thereof when used with a conventional hook and D-ring harness.

A further object of the invention is to provide equipment of this character in which the second or reserve parachute pack is attached to the harness by two hooks, one of which is releasable either from a quick-release device on the harness or manually and independently of any such quick-release device, the other hook serving for the suspension of the reserve pack when its first hook has been released.

The invention also includes parachute harness provided with means for attachment of two parachute packs, and comprising a quick-release device on the harness, in combination with one or more releasable hooks for the attachment of the second or reserve pack, the releasable hook or one of the releasable hooks being freed automatically by the operation, or by an initial step in the operation, of the quick-release device. Thus the invention comprises in one form a quick-release device of the known kind for freeing a parachute harness but further provided with means for releasing also a reserve parachute pack normally carried on the chest of the wearer, said means being operated by an initial movement of the quick-release device.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear from the following description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 represents a standard type of harness with a quick-release device, and also provided with hooks for the attachment of a chest-type reserve pack, the latter being indicated in chain lines.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the quick-release device and right attachment hook seen in Fig. 1, shown on a larger scale and partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of Fig. 2, partly broken away, and partly in section on the line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the attachment hook shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a similar View, in central section, with the pawl lifted.

Fig. '7 represents a trainer-type harness with a conventional hook and D-ring connection, also provided with hooks for the attachment of a reserve pack indicated in chain lines.

Referring to Fig. 1, the harness shown is of well-known type, comprising a seat sling I0, leg straps ll, belt l2 and shoulder straps I3, the ends of the sling being secured to the lift webs lli of the main parachute pack l5, and the ends of the leg straps, belt and shoulder straps being tted with lugs IE5 engaged by the quickrelease device il; the operation of the latter is controlled by a knob i3, which has toI be turned to unlock the mechanism before it can be pressed to release the harness.

Front lift webs I9, also secured to the sling lil and passing through the adjustable shoulder buckles 2t, are provided at their free ends with hooks 2|, 22 for the attachment of a second or reserve parachute pack, indicated at 23, which will normally rest upon the wearers chest, the hooks being detachably held in clips 24 secured to back plates 25 riveted or otherwise mounted upon the front of the harness.

The hook 2l on the right-hand side is releasable automatically by the turning of the control knob IS, as hereinafter more fully explained; the other hook 22 may also be releasable in the same way, but is not so shown, its catch 28 being spring-controlled to engage with the shackle or other part of the pack 23 and this hook 22 being disengageable manually by depression of the spring catch.

The releasable hook 2l is shown mounted upon a support consisting of a spring leaf 2l secured tothe base of the quick-release device Il; a sliding link or latch 28 moves along the spring leaf 21 under the effect of the part-rotation of the control knob I3 and thereby frees the front or chest-type parachute pack 23 from this hook 2l by raising a pawl 29 which normally closes over the shackle or like member of the attachment engaged with the hook. The sliding link or latch 28 may be composed of any suitable flexible material, being shown as a thin spring leaf, for example about three-quarters of the width of the supporting leaf 2, the flexibility oi' the two parts enabling them to adjust themselves upon the wearers body so as to avoid discomfort.

As shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the hollow base 33 of the quick-release device is secured, as by screws 3|, to one end of the spring leaf 2; it may have a laterally projecting portion 32 slotted transversely for connection to the waist belt l2 on one side. The quick-release device may have also a laterally projecting attachment member 33 for connection to the waist belt on the other sid-e; this attachment member is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 as consisting of a cranked metal strip with a cross-pin 34 fixed near one end, the other end being formed with two eyes 35 which are releasably engaged by two of the locking studs 35 of the quick-release device, so that the two sides of the waist belt are disconnected when the harness is released by pressure upon the knob I8.

rEhe wall of the base 3i! is slotted at 31 towards its upper right-hand portion to admit the spring 2 and latch 28, the two leaves being spaced apart by the thickness of a washer plate or the like pressing the spring 2 against the back wall of the hollow base. The rotatable spindle 38 of the quick-release control knob I8 is fltted'at its inner end with a rotatable member 39 having crank pin or peg d projecting parallel to the spindle, this peg engaging in a transverse slot 4I in the latch 28, so that the turning of the control knob in the usual unlocking movement will cause the peg to slide this latch longitudinally in relation to the supporting leaf 2l; the peg may. be arranged to pass completely through the latch 28 but not to engage or rub upon the spring The other end of the spring leaf 2 is arranged to support the releasable hook 2l by means of its l clip 22, the two hooks 2l, 22 being detaehably supported so that they can pull away from their clips 2li when the parachute of the reserve pack 23 comes into operation, as customary with chesttype or observers parachute packs mounted upon two hooks secured to front lift webs. Preferably each hook 2|, 22 is detachably engaged in a spring clip 25 having a flat central portion 132 against which the bodyof the hook normally rests, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5, a bottom trough i3 in which the main jaw or curved lower end of the hook is seated, and a forwardly and upwardly bent upper portion adapted to engage the slotted shackle ifi through which the left web I9 is passed at the top of the hook. The :dat central portion l2 of the clip and its bottom trough L33 may be formed with parallel ribs or flutings d to increase its stiffness, but the free extremity [i5 (which may be narrowed to less width than the main portion 42) provides sui'- iicient flexibility to allow the hook to be snapped into engagement in the trough e3 after its top end or shackle lill has been placed over the forwardly bent top 46 of the clip; a peripheral rib el extending partly around the main jaw or curved lower end of the hook may be arranged to register with the groove or depression between the iiutings 35 on the bottom trough of the clip, so as to guide the hook during its snap engagement.

In the case of the releasable nook 2l, the nat central portion l2 of the clip is xed by screws it to two substantially rectangular plates d, 5B; these screws pass through holes near the top and bottom edges of the plates e9, 5d, and other holes near the side edges of 'the clip 213, lock nuts being fitted to the ends of the screws in front of the clip. The box or housing thus assembled is secured to an obliquely-set head portion 5I of the leaf spring 2i' by similar screws passed thrOugh other holes near the top and bottom edges of the plates 5, 5S and of the head portion 5I, and through the back plate 25, lock nuts being-tted behind the latter. The foremost plate 49, which is thicker than the next plate 53, is recessed on its rear face to provide an oblique slideway 52 for the latch 28, which-is thus spaced from the spring support 2i at this end by the thickness of the plate 5G; the same recess also accominodates a disc 53 journaled upon short stubs 54 rotatable in aligned holes in the two plates 49, 5G, This disc 53 carries two crank pins 55,55 upon its opposite faces, set at approximately degrees apart, one pin 55 being relatively short and working in the lateral branchk 51 of 'a T-shaped slot in the latch 28, the main portion 58 of this slot having clearance for the adjacent stub 54, and the other pin 55 being' long enough to pass through the foremost plate 139 and lclip portion ft2, as by way of part-circular slots therein, and to project for a short distance (for example aquarter of an inch) in front of the clip.

The back of the hook 2i, when engaged in the clip, rests against the ilat central portion 112 of the latter, its sides'being formed with'two parallel facings 59 which flt outside the ribs or flutings 35 on the portionV 42 of the clip so as to locate the parts in relation to one another. The projecting crank pin 5t of the rotatable disc 53 extends into the body of the hook between these facings and engages beneath a spring-controlled carriage 6l guided by transverse pins 52 thereon working in slots 63 near the rear edges of the body sides, that'is, in a substantially vertical direction; from the upper pin 62, an oblique link 64 extends in a forward and downward direction to another pin 30 near the front end ,of the pawl 29 which is pivoted upon a cross pin 65 inside the body of the hook, near the inner end of the Vslots B forming the hook opening or jaws for the shackle orrother pack attachment member 61, the pawl 29 being so shaped on its lower face as to provide a hooked portion 58 engaging over the said shackle or equivalent member, as shown in Fig. 5. 'Ihe spring 59 controlling the carriage 6| may be connected between the upper pin 62 of the latter and the cross pin 55 on which the pawl 29 is pivoted.

Since the spring-controlled carriage 6l can rise without being lifted by the crank pin 56 engaged beneath it, the parachute pack 23 can be attached to the harness in the normal manner by forcing the shackle or equivalent memberl into the slots or jawsi of the releasable hook,

after the corresponding shackle on the other side of the pack has been engaged with the hook 22 on that side of the harness. In the case `of this hook 22, which in the arrangement shown in Fig. l is not releasable by the operation of the quick-release device, it may be fitted with any suitable kind of manual release alternative to the depression of its catch 2B, the supporting clip 24 being fixed upon the backing plate 25 which may be stitched or riveted to the front web I9 on that side of the harness. A manual release of the hook 2| is also provided by means of a sliding thumb-piece 'Il attached to the spring-controlled carriage 6|, for example by extending the pins 62 through the top and bottom of the thumb-piece, which is recessed at l2 in order to facilitate its grip by the wearer; by lifting the thumb-piece 'll and the carriage with the thumb of one hand which at the same time grips the shackle or equivalent member of the reserve parachute pack 23, the latter can be released manually from the harness, the pack 23 then swinging down on its other shackle still engaged by the hook 22.

Automatic disengagement of the shackle engaged in the releasable hook 2| takes place when the control knob |8 of the quick-release device is turned for unlocking the mechanism as the initial step in freeing the wearer from his harness, the part-rotation of the peg-tted member 39 causing the latch 28 to slide longitudinally in relation to the spring support 21, and this longitudinal movement being converted by the crank-pins 55, 56 of the rotatable disc 53 behind the hook 2| into an upward movement of the carriage 6| inside the latter, whereby the retaining pawl 29 is lifted by the oblique link 64 so as to free the shackle or equivalent mem,- ber 6l. Subsequent pressure on the control knob I8 will release the straps connected to the quick-release device, so that the harness will be completely released, the front or reserve pack 23 remaining attached to the harness by one shackle engaged with the hook 22 on that side, but swinging clear of the wearer due to its onesided release at the initial turning movement of the control knob I8.

In the event of a long flight in a transport aeroplane, for example, the wearer may desire to remove the front pack 23, without freeing himself from the harness, in which case partrotation of the control knob I8 without subsequent pressure will suice to disengage one shackle of the front pack from the releasable hook 2|, after which he can return the control knob I8 to locked position and disengage the other shackle from the hook 22 on that side; both hooks 2|, 22 will remain in position, ready for the re-attachment of the front pack 23, if desired at a later time. Similarly, if the wearer desires to remove the front pack 23 before freeing himself from the harness, as in the case of a normal descent by means of the parachutereleased from the rear pack l5, when the presence of the front pack is likely to cause difliculty or even injury to the wearer in alighting upon the ground, the control knob I8 can be given its initial part-rotation at any time after the rear-pack parachute has deployed, so that the wearer can jettison the unopened front pack before nearing the ground. This facility is particularly advantageous in the connection with parachute drops by paratroopers and other combatants, for whom the provision of a second parachute for use in the event of the first one 6 failing to open, is most desirable, but has hitherto been open to objection or even impracticable owing to the additional encumbrance involved.

As mentioned above, two releasable hooks such as 2| may be provided for the attachment of the second or reserve parachute pack 23; in that case, the i'lrst or supporting spring2'l and the latch or second spring 28 may be extended to both sides of the quick-release device |1, for example in opposite and horizontal directions, the initial part-rotation of the peg-tted disc 39 causing the latch 28 to slide longitudinally of the extended support, and the two ends of the latch operating crank-fitted discs such as 53 behind the respective releasable hooks 2|, 22, so as to lift both retaining pawls in the manner already described for the single releasable hook.

It will be noted that the two leaf or at springs 2l, 2B, beingr spaced apart throughout their length, are not only quite ilexible to permit the wearers movements without causing him discomfort, but can bend without producing relative sliding motion of the latch 2B, the leaf on the outside of the curve so produced being able to remain more nearly straight than the leaf on the inside of the curve, and thus neutralizing the difference of radius which might produce relative motion at one end.

Fig. 7 shows another type of parachute harness, in which a seat sling I0' is secured to the main lift webs I4' and front lift webs I9', and the leg stra-pe l l pass through loops formed by the ends of the belt I2', the ends of these leg straps and those of the shoulder straps I3 being connected in front of the wearer by conventional D-rings or shackles 'i3 and hooks 14; the main parachute pack l5' is carried at the back and the reserve pack 23' at the front, this reserve pack having its shackles or equivalent members engaged upon two attachment hooks 2|', 22', detachably clipped to the harness and secured to the front lift webs I9'. The right-hand hook 2|' is of the same releasable type and construction as already described with reference to Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6, adapted fol` operation by means of a thumbpiece 1|', but without the automatic operating means such as the sliding latch 28, peg-tted disc 39 and crank-fitted disc 53, The left-hand hook 22' may be any standard form of snap-hook, with a manually releasable catch 26' as shown in Fig. l, or it may be of the same type and ccnstruction as the right-hand hook 2|', provided with a thumb-piece similar to the part '1|'.

In this form of the invention, it is possible to release the right-hand hook 2|' manually at any time, allowing the front or reserve pack 23' to Swing down upon its attachment to the other hook 22', for example after the main parachute has opened and while the wearer is preparing to alight, so that he may have unimpeded access to the D-rings and hooks for discarding the harness at the moment when he reaches the ground.

It will be obvious that the invention may be applied in this form to a parachute harness provided with the quick-release device such as that described with reference to Fig. 1, but without any sliding latch connection between the quickrelease device and the releasable hook for the reserve pack.

What I claim is:

l. In a parachute harness provided with main and reserve packs, means for releasable attachment of the reserve pack comprising two hooks, spring clips detachably holding said reserve pack to the harness, and means associated with one of said spring clips for voluntaryA release of said reserve pack from the respective hook, said voluntary release means including a member slidable in relation to said one spring clip.

2. In a parachute harness provided with main and reserve packs, means for releasable attachment oi the reserve pack comprising two hooks, spring clips detachably holding sai-:l reserve pack to the harness, and means associated with one of said spring clips for voluntary release of said reserve pack from the respective hook, said voluntary release means comprising a thumb-piece slidably guided upon said hook, a spring-controlled carriage inside said hook, and a pawl normally maintaining said reserve pack engaged with said hook, said pawl being lifted to disengage said reserve pack from said hook by manual operation of said'thumb-piece.

1.3'. In a parachute harness provided with main and reserve packs and a quick-release device for removalof the harness, means for releasable attachment ofv the reserve pack comprising two hooks, spring clips detachably holding said hooks to the-harness, and means for voluntary release of 'said reserve pack from one of said hooks, said voluntary release means including a member slidable in relation to the respectivel spring clip and operable through manipulation oi said quickrelease device. v

4..In a parachute harness provided with main and. reserve packs and a quick-release device for removal of the harness, means for releasable attachment of thev reserve pack comprising two hooks, spring clips detachably holding said hooks to the harness, and `means for voluntary release ofY said reserve pack from one oi said hooks, said voluntary release means Vincluding a latch slidable in relation to the respective spring clip, said latch lbeing operable through manipulation of said quick-release device and also operable independently of said quick-release device.

5. In a parachute harness provided with main and reserve packs and a quick-release device for removal oi the harness, means for releasable attachment vof the .reserve pack comprising two hooks,` a member secured to said. quick-release deviceand extending behind one of said hooks, a latch slidable in relation to said member by manipulation o said quick-release device, and mechanism arranged between said one hook and theadjacent portion of said member, said mechanism including a crank disc rotatable by sliding movement of said latch and operative to release-said one hook.

6. In. a parachute harness provided with a main pack, means for releasablerattachment oi a reserve pack and means for release of said harness, reserve-pack attachment means comprising two hooks detachably mounted upon said harness, each of said hooks being adapted for snap-engagement by a shackle upon said reserve pack, and one of said hooks having manual means ior disengaging the respective shackle, said manual lmeans comprising a slidable member external 'to saidjone hook, a slidable spring-controlled carriage within said one hook, a pawl normally locking said shackle to said hook, and a link from said carriage to said pawl, the operation of said slidable member causing said carriageto displace said link and thereby free said pawl from said shackle.

'7. In a parachute harness provided with main and lreserve packs and aV quick-release device for removal of the harness, means for releasable ,attachment of thereserve pack comprising two r-hooks engageable by snap-actionwith elements of said reserve pack, spring clips detachvably holding said hooks to the harness, and means for voluntary release of said reserve pack from one of said hooks,rsaid voluntary release including a latch slidable in relation tothe respective spring clip and being operable through manipulation of said quick-release device, and said reserve pack then remaining suspended from the other of said hooks for removal togetherwith the harness, uponnal operation of said quickrelease device. Y Y

8.- In a parachute harness provided Vwith main and reserve packs and a quick-release device for removal of the harness, means Vfor vreleasable attachment of the reserve pack comprising'two hooks engageable by snap-action with elements Y of said reserve pack, spring clips detachably holding said hooks to the harness, and means for voluntary release of said'reserve pack from one of said hooks, -said voluntary means including a latch slidable -in relation to the respective spring clip, said latch being operable through manipulation of said quick-release device and also operable-independently of said quick-release device, and-said reserve pack then remaining suspended from the-other of said hooks for removal together with the harness upon final operation of said quick-release device.

9. In a parachute harness provided with main and reserve packs and a quick-release device for removal of the harness, means for. releasable attachment of the reserve pack comprising Vtwo hooks, spring clips detachably holding said hooks to the harness, a spring leaf member secured to said quick-releaseY device and to one of said clips, a exible link slidable longitudinally of said spring leaf member by manipulation of said quick-release device, and. mechanism Yfor releasing the hook held in said one clip by sliding movement of said iiexible link.

10. In a parachute harness provided with .main and reserve .packs anda quick-release device for removal oi the harness, means for. releasable attachment of the reserve pack comprising. two hooks, spring clips detachably holding. said hooks to the harness, and means -for voluntary release of said reserve pack fromv one of said hooks, said voluntary release means including a linkslidable in relation to the respective spring clip and to said quick-release device, said slidable link being operable through manipulation of said said quickrelease device, and a manual over-ride control for releasing said reserve pack from said one hook independently of said link, said reserve pack when released remaining suspended from the other of said hooks for removal together with the harness.

J OHN RAYMOND CUTI-IBERT QUILTER.

REFERENCES CITED YThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED ASTATES PATENTS ,Kajdan' Apr. 12, 1949 

